Shawn Ray believes Nick Walker will “need a dose of reality” following his New York Pro victory.
Shawn Ray has discussed Nick Walker and his potential in the past. After Walker’s victory at the 2024 New York Pro, Ray joined Bob Cicherillo on the Voice Of Bodybuilding podcast to review Walker’s performance over the weekend and talk about his Olympia prospects.
“He will never get my vote. Twice on Sunday he wouldn’t get my vote.”
Walker quickly rose to the top of the Men’s Open division in a relatively short amount of time. In 2021, he was crowned champion of the Arnold Classic before hitting the Olympia. He has two top-five finishes in each of the last two years and was a hopeful for this year as well. Unfortunately, Walker suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of the 2023 Olympia.
RELATED: Shawn Ray Talks Nick Walker’s Olympia Prospects
Ray spoke in January about Walker’s Olympia hopes and claimed there was “no guarantee” that he made it back following his injury. After a victory at the NY Pro, Walker is officially qualified but Ray does not believe he has a physique that is worthy of being up with the best of the best all-time.
“That doesn’t take away the fact that he’s a blue-collar, hardcore bodybuilder. Nick deserves his day in the sun. Is that something I want to be the premier physique that represents what all of bodybuilding is about?”
Shawn Ray Discusses New York Pro Battle
The New York Pro came down to Nick Walker and Martin Fitzwater. According to Shawn Ray, the final result was not a complete runaway, which fans of Walker claim it was.
“Is Martin Fitzwater that good or is Nick getting a little bit too much hype too soon? That was such a close show. I mean, Nick claims to be almost at his all-time best and if that’s his best, what is that going to look like next to Hadi?
This was not an obvious victory for Nick. It’s debatable. People are still talking about it right now. Nick’s got hi fans saying it was a slam dunk. He’s going to need a dose of reality. If it’ that close with Martin, how close will it be standing next to Hadi or Derek or big Samson.”
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Ray continued to discuss Walker’s hopes at the 2024 Olympia. He shared that if he would not cast his vote for Walker based on what he saw in New York.
“I wouldn’t want that to represent the premier physique in the Mr. Olympia and put that name, that physique, online with Lee Haney, Dexter Jackson, all the guys that have been there before.
He’s doing the best he can do. As an Olympia representative, he couldn’t get my vote. I couldn’t go there.”
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